Overthrowing Wei: Starting with Cao Cao's "I'd rather betray the world than surrender

When the name of the Yellow Turbans reappeared in Pingyu County, it was no longer as uniform as it had been in the past.

There were no camps or strongholds, and no banners obscuring the sun.

Only scattered groups of people, wrapped in old turbans and carrying rusty knives, emerged from the desolate roads, ditches, and forests, like dust blown away by the wind and falling back to the ground.

They do not attack cities.

Only attacking the village.

First, there were two small villages in the southwest.

The fire started at night, and the chickens and dogs barked wildly. By daybreak, everyone had fled, leaving only the ransacked granary and two unburied corpses.

The next day, the county was in chaos.

It's not the common people who are in chaos, it's the county government that's in chaos first.

The county constable dispatched men to patrol the area overnight, but the county magistrate suppressed the order to send troops, only saying one thing—

"These are roving bandits, not a bandit army."

The meaning is quite clear.

If it's bandits, that's an official matter;

If they are bandits, that's a matter for the local authorities.

On the third day, the news spread even further.

Some say that those people called themselves remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion;

Some say he's just a starving man who uses a name to commit robbery.

Regardless of which one it is, one thing is already confirmed—

They started keeping an eye on Zhuangzi.

Moreover, the surveillance is selective.

At this moment, Lü Ding was "invited" into the county government office.

It's not a summons.

It was a polite letter, delivered personally to the estate by an old clerk serving the county magistrate, containing only one sentence:

"The county is discussing defense matters and would like to invite Young Master Lü to listen in."

After reading it, Lü Ding understood.

I didn't invite you to listen.

I'm asking you to come pick me up.

There weren't many people in the county government office.

County Magistrate Xu Heng sat at the head of the table. The county magistrate was not present, but a subordinate official sat in his place at a side seat. Several scattered reports were placed on the table.

"You know the current situation," the county magistrate said bluntly, without any pleasantries. "Pingyu is a vast area with a small population, and even fewer soldiers."

Lu Ding bowed his head and responded.

"The other day, regarding the matter of conscripting men, your village did not send all of them." The county magistrate's tone was very calm, as if he were stating a routine matter. "This matter should have been investigated thoroughly."

After those words were spoken, the room fell silent.

Lü Ding did not defend himself.

Because he knew—

If we're going to settle accounts, we won't just say this now.

Sure enough, the county magistrate changed the subject:

"But now, with bandits causing chaos, we are short-handed."

"If we continue to fixate on the list, it will only hinder our work."

This is no longer forgiveness.

It's an exchange.

"So the county discussed it." The county magistrate looked up at Lü Ding. "Your area is close to Nanyuankou, and recently the remnants of the Yellow Turbans have been the most active there."

"Your village is responsible for assisting in the defense of that line."

When these words were spoken, even the clerk paused for a moment.

Assist in defense.

It's not about listening to tunes.

It's not enlisting in the army.

Yes—you must guard it yourself.

"How people are used, trained, and fought is none of the county's business," the county magistrate continued. "There's only one rule."

He paused for a moment.

"If you can hold out, then you've done your duty."

"If we can't hold on—"

He didn't finish the second half of his sentence.

But Lu Ding had already filled in the gaps for him.

That is, gathering manpower privately but failing to bring peace to the people.

The merits will be recorded in the county.

It fell on him.

"I understand," Lü Ding replied quickly.

So fast that even the county magistrate glanced at him.

"only."

Lu Dingxiang stepped forward, his tone remaining calm:

"Since we are here on the orders of the county to assist in the defense, the village militia cannot be empty-handed."

"Nanyuankou has an open terrain and cannot be defended without weapons."

"Please ask the county government—"

"Requisition some old weapons as a precaution."

County Magistrate Xu Heng did not respond immediately.

He glanced down at the booklet on the table, then looked up at Lü Ding, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment.

That wasn't the look of someone scrutinizing loyalty and treachery. It was the look of someone calculating.

"Old equipment," Xu Heng said slowly. "You want old equipment."

He pronounced the word "old" very clearly.

"It's not that there aren't any in the official granaries."

"only--"

He raised his hand and tapped lightly on the table.

"Most of them are broken, chipped, or abandoned from last year."

That's a very straightforward statement.

It also sounds very official.

There is only one meaning:

I can give it to you, but don't be picky.

Lu Ding did not respond, but simply stood there quietly.

Xu Heng glanced at him, as if to make sure he wouldn't escalate the situation, before continuing:

"Long spear—"

He paused for a moment.

"Thirty bodies."

"Twenty shields."

"bow--"

He frowned almost imperceptibly.

"There are no new bows, so we can only give you ten old bows and a hundred arrows."

This number is negligible in the military.

It can be placed in the village.

They've already crossed the line.

After Xu Heng finished speaking, he added:

"I will have someone register the equipment serial number."

"name--"

He looked up at Lü Ding.

"Record under 'Defense Backup'."

It is not a formal organization within the militia.

However, it was not for private use.

This is the maximum space he can offer.

"But there's one condition." Xu Heng's tone turned cold.

"The siege equipment is for you to guard the South Plain Pass."

"It's not for you to raise an army."

This statement can be considered a warning.

It's also about leaving yourself a way out.

Lü Ding then bowed.

"clear."

He answered very quickly.

It was so fast that Xu Heng was slightly taken aback.

Because he didn't bargain.

He didn't show the slightest disappointment.

It seems like this little bit of stuff—

This was already within his expectations.

"When can we collect the equipment?" Lu Ding asked.

"Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM)," Xu Heng said. "I will send someone to escort him."

He meant "escort".

It's not "delivery".

The meaning is very clear—

I'm keeping an eye on the people; I'm keeping an eye on the equipment too.

Lu Ding nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Xu Heng watched his retreating figure, then suddenly whispered something to the clerk beside him:

"This person knows what's going on."

The clerk hesitated for a moment: "Does Your Excellency think... this is enough?"

Xu Heng did not answer.

He simply closed the booklet, his tone indifferent:

Whether it's enough or not isn't up to me to decide.

When Lü Ding came out of the county office, the sky was already overcast.

The wind wasn't strong, but it was stuffy.

On the way back to the village, he didn't say a word.

He only stopped when he entered the courtyard and Xu Huang came to greet him.

"You're here?" Xu Huang asked.

"Here I am," Lü Ding replied.

"Where are you assigned to guard?"

"Naharaguchi."

Xu Huang's eyes darkened.

"This puts you in front. Shall we fight?" Xu Huang said in a low voice.

Lu Ding looked at the people in the courtyard.

Some people were repairing the fence, some were carrying water, and some were standing around, seemingly doing nothing, but noticeably more silent than in the past few days.

They've heard the rumors too.

"Attack," Lü Ding said.

"But not for the county."

Xu Huang did not press the matter further.

He only asked one question:

"How many men will you give me?"

Lu Ding remained silent for a moment.

"Everything that can move in the village."

"The equipment provided is limited; it will arrive tomorrow."

This was the first time he had ever said something like that.

Xu Huang nodded without saying anything more.

That night, the lights in the back hall of the ancestral hall were not lit.

There was no bell ringing, nor was the clansmen summoned; only a few people were called.

Lü Ding and Xu Huang arrived first and were already seated at the table.

Before long, Lü Fu lifted the curtain and entered, followed by Xun Heng, and two stewards, one in charge of the granary and the other in charge of the fields.

There weren't many people, but they were all the real leaders of the village.

Once the door closed, the sound of the wind was shut out, leaving only the occasional soft rustling of the lamp wick inside.

"Sit down," Lü Ding said.

There was no small talk.

There was no foreshadowing.

He glanced at the crowd, his tone low but steady:

How many households are there in our village now?